Seattle linebacker Malcolm Smith scores on a 69-yard return of an interception thrown by Peyton Manning, below, making the score 22-0 in the second quarter.

Photo: Gregory Bull, Associated Press

Seattle linebacker Malcolm Smith scores on a 69-yard return of an...

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Seattle Seahawks outside linebacker Malcolm Smith (53) intercepts a pass intended for Denver Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno (27) during the first half of the NFL Super Bowl XLVIII football game Sunday, Feb. 2, 2014, in East Rutherford, N.J. Smith ran the interception back for a touchdown. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Denver Broncos' Peyton Manning looks at the scoreboard during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl XLVIII football game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2014, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - FEBRUARY 02: Tight end Zach Miller #86 of the Seattle Seahawks dumps Gatorade on head coach Pete Carroll in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLVIII against the Denver Broncos at MetLife Stadium on February 2, 2014 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Seattle Seahawks won 43-8. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Photo: Jeff Gross, Getty Images

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - FEBRUARY 02: Tight end Zach Miller #86 of...

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Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson holds up the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the Seahawks defeated the Denver Broncos
in the NFL Super Bowl XLVIII football game in East Rutherford, New Jersey, February 2, 2014. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The Seattle Seahawks, a team without a player with previous Super Bowl experience, switched to Beat Mode on Sunday and won the first NFL championship in franchise history.

The Seahawks were a long way from CenturyLink Field, but they located their 12th Man, anyway, and he turned out to be Denver quarterback Peyton Manning.

In their 43-8 victory at MetLife Stadium, the Seahawks pulverized Manning, vaporized the Broncos and shocked 82,529 fans and a worldwide television audience with a performance for the ages.

Manning was 34-for-49 passing for 280 yards and one touchdown, with two interceptions. He lost a fumble. He averaged only 5.7 yards per attempt. His rating was 73.5.

"You can't expect him to have a bad game like that," Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman said. "Everybody played their behinds off. I think it was more of a case of what we did instead of what he didn't do."

Second-year Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson was 18-for-25 for 206 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions and a rating of 123.1.

It reads like a cliche, but the Seahawks' Super Bowl XLVIII victory truly was a team effort because they scored on offense, defense and special teams.

Head coach Pete Carroll and the Seahawks hoisted the Lombardi Trophy because they dominated Manning and his teammates in embarrassing fashion.

"It happened exactly the way we wanted it to," Carroll said. "We played our style of ball. We didn't change anything. They couldn't run the ball. We got pressure up front. And we made plays."

"It's all about making history," Thomas said. "This was a dominant performance from top to bottom."

The Broncos had four turnovers and a safety. One of Manning's interceptions set up a touchdown and the other was returned for a touchdown. And the Seahawks forced two fumbles. The first one set up a touchdown.

Fans shouldn't have been too surprised. This was the fifth time in Super Bowl history that the team surrendering the fewest points in the regular season played the team that scored the most points. And the team that allowed the fewest points is 5-0.

This one got ugly early for Manning and his teammates.

"We're the best defense since the 1985 Bears," Seattle defensive end Michael Bennett said. "We could have played anybody today and done the same thing."

The Seahawks showed why they were the first team since the 1985 Bears - also Super Bowl champions - to lead the NFL in fewest points allowed, fewest yards allowed and the most takeaways.

"I wasn't surprised at all," linebacker Bobby Wagner said. "They hadn't played a defense that flies around like we do and hits like we do."

The last thing Denver needed was a safety on its first play, but that's what happened when Manny Ramirez's snap sailed past Manning into the end zone. From that point, things got worse for the Broncos, who trailed 5-0 after Steven Hauschka's 31-yard field goal climaxed Seattle's first series.

A 29-yard punt by Britton Colquitt set up Seattle's third score, another Hauschka field goal, this one from 33 yards to give the Seahawks an 8-0 advantage in the first quarter.

On Denver's next drive, Chancellor intercepted Manning's overthrown pass. Running back Marshawn Lynch scored on a 1-yard run three minutes into the second quarter, giving Seattle a 15-0 lead.

About the only good thing the Broncos did was keep Lynch from getting into Beast Mode. He was largely a non-factor with 39 yards on 15 carries.

Manning drove the Broncos to Seattle's 35 on their next series, but then Avril hit Manning as he threw. The ball took off like a pop fly and came down in the arms of Smith, who returned it 69 yards for a touchdown.

"He was kind of working the other side of the field with his eyes," Smith said. "He came back and was checking the ball down quick, but (Avril) got hold of his arm, and the ball came out real high. I was fortunate to pick it.

"It was just excellent teamwork."

Smith's interception return boosted the Seahawks' advantage to 22-0, a lead that lasted until Percy Harvin electrified the proceedings by returning the second-half kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown and a 29-0 lead.

"We knew it had a good chance," Harvin said. "We'd been (working on) it all week. They did a heck of a job blocking. As soon as I caught the ball (on a bounce), there was open field."

Later in the third quarter, the Seahawks took advantage of Smith's recovery of a fumble by receiver DeMaryius Thomas.

Three minutes later, Wilson threw a short pass over the middle to receiver Jermaine Kearse, who made an exceptional play. He bounced off three defenders to score a 23-yard touchdown for a 36-0 advantage.

On the last play of the third quarter, the Broncos finally scored on Manning's 14-yard pass to Thomas, who set a Super Bowl record with 13 receptions. Manning threw a two-point conversion pass to Wes Welker.

Denver tried an onside kick that Seattle covered. The Seahawks capitalized when Wilson and former Stanford receiver Doug Baldwin collaborated on a final touchdown on a 10-yard pass with 11:45 left in the game.

Broncos' low 5

Denver absorbed its record fifth Super Bowl loss Sunday, a 43-8 drubbing by the Seahawks. The Broncos have won two Super Bowl titles, but their five losses have come by lopsided margins: